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Club Soccer - Maximize Your Collegiate Opportunities
There comes a time in every player’s soccer career when he or she needs to decide how seriously they want to pursue soccer. At some point, every youth soccer player will be asked the question: do you want to play soccer in college? If being a collegiate student-athlete is something that a youth player wants to purse then sacrifices may have to be made.
Pressures typically mount as players get older and begin high school. The tradeoff is usually between club soccer and pursuing other high school sports such as baseball, softball, track, etc. While the cost of choosing club soccer over high school sports can be tough, if playing soccer at the collegiate level is your ultimate goal then it is a sacrifice that will have to be considered.
There are several reasons why club soccer is so important if you want to play college soccer. First, as a rule, club soccer is more competitive than high school soccer and consequently athletes who play club soccer are generally more committed players than those who do not. Second, college coaches do most of their recruiting from tournaments which club soccer teams attend. If you are not competing at those tournaments, than it is difficult for a coach to see you play and ultimately recruit you. And lastly, the experience gained from playing soccer at a competitive level will help mold you into a more desirable college prospect.
Not all players need to give up everything just to play club soccer; if you can balance academics, club soccer and another high school sport, by all means do so. But, playing two sports can be very time consuming, and if academics are slipping or coming in second to athletics, then it is time to reevaluate where your time is spent and what your ultimate goal is.
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NCSA, the Official Scouting Organization and Provider of Recruiting Education for Cal South, is the premier source for matching high school scholar – athletes with colleges and universities across the country. NCSA is the "Eyes & Ears" of more than 35,000 college coaches, who rely on NCSA's experienced scouting team and instant response capabilities to provide them with quality prospective recruits. NCSA prides itself in educating high school student-athletes and their families about the college recruiting process. Please visit www.ncsasports.org for more information about NCSA.
